System and method for monitoring manufacturing

Abstract

A system for monitoring manufacturing includes one or more sensors and a controller in communication with the one or more sensors. The controller may include one or more processors that determine a quality metric represented by machine data collected from one or more machine data sensors and identify a correlation value between the machine data and environmental data collected from one or more environmental data sensors. The controller may further include determine if the correlation value exceeds a predetermined threshold value, and if the correlation value exceeds the predetermined threshold value, report at least one of the correlation value and the quality metric.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A system for monitoring manufacturing, comprising:
 one or more sensors; and 
 a controller in operative communication with the one or more sensors, wherein the controller comprises one or more processors and a memory communicatively coupled with and readable by the one or more processors and having stored therein processor-readable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:
 determine a quality metric represented by machine data collected from the one or more sensors; 
 identify a correlation value between the machine data and environmental data collected from the one the more sensors; 
 determine if the correlation value exceeds a predetermined threshold value; 
 if the correlation value exceeds the predetermined threshold value, report at least one of the correlation value and the quality metric; 
 determine a trend line comprising a plurality of points representing the machine data over at least one of a period of time or a number of machine parts; 
 determine an average value for the machine data; 
 determine if one or more of the plurality of points on the trend line cross the average value more than a predetermined number of times; and 
 if the one or more points cross the average value more than the predetermined number of times, initiate an alert message that the one or more points are fluctuating above or below the mean value. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The system of  claim 1 , further wherein:
 the one or more sensors comprise at least one machine data sensor and one environmental data sensor. 
 
     
     
       3. The system of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a server in operative communication with the controller and one or more remote terminals. 
 
     
     
       4. The system of  claim 3 , further wherein:
 the server comprises a cloud-based data server having one or more databases, wherein the one or more databases store machine data and environmental data collected from the one or more sensors. 
 
     
     
       5. A computer-implemented method for monitoring manufacturing, the method comprising:
 determining a quality metric represented by machine data collected from one or more machine data sensors; 
 identifying a correlation value between the machine data and environmental data collected from one or more environmental data sensors; 
 determining if the correlation value exceeds a predetermined threshold value; 
 if the correlation value exceeds the predetermined threshold value, reporting at least one of the correlation value and the quality metric; 
 determining a trend line comprising a plurality of points representing the machine data over at least one of a period of time or a number of machine parts; 
 determining an average value for the machine data; 
 determining if one or more of the plurality of points on the trend line cross the average value more than a predetermined number of times; and 
 if the one or more points cross the average value more than the predetermined number of times, initiating an alert message that the one or more points are fluctuating above or below the mean value. 
 
     
     
       6. The computer-implemented method for monitoring manufacturing of  claim 5 , further comprising:
 determining that the quality metric is indicative of a substandard quality; and 
 reporting the quality metric based on the determination. 
 
     
     
       7. The computer-implemented method for monitoring manufacturing of  claim 6 , further comprising:
 comparing the machine data to at least one of an average value, a lower control level value, and an upper control level value; and 
 determining the quality metric indicates the substandard quality based on the comparison. 
 
     
     
       8. The computer-implemented method for monitoring manufacturing of  claim 7 , further wherein:
 the average value, the lower control level value, and the upper control level value define a tolerance range for a part being manufactured; and 
 the substandard quality represents the machine data exceeds the tolerance range. 
 
     
     
       9. The computer-implemented method for monitoring manufacturing of  claim 6 , further comprising:
 receiving a user request for a root cause analysis based on the determination that the quality metric is indicative of the substandard quality; and 
 identifying and reporting the correlation value in response to the user request. 
 
     
     
       10. The computer-implemented method for monitoring manufacturing of  claim 5 , further comprising:
 receiving a user request for at least one of the correlation value and the quality metric; and 
 reporting at least one of the correlation value and the quality metric in response to the user request. 
 
     
     
       11. The computer-implemented method for monitoring manufacturing of  claim 5 , further comprising:
 based on the determination that the correlation value exceeds the predetermined threshold value, determining an environmental factor, wherein the environmental factor indicates at least one of a humidity reading, temperature reading, and pressure reading represented by the environmental data; and 
 reporting the environmental factor. 
 
     
     
       12. The computer-implemented method for monitoring manufacturing of  claim 5 , further comprising:
 analyzing the environmental data and the machine data using a regression analysis to identify the correlation value. 
 
     
     
       13. The computer-implemented method for monitoring manufacturing of  claim 5 , further wherein:
 the predetermined threshold value is a minimum correlation factor that is based on user input received during an initial setup procedure. 
 
     
     
       14. The computer-implemented method for monitoring manufacturing of  claim 5 , further comprising:
 retrieving data representing at least one of the environmental data and the machine data from a network database. 
 
     
     
       15. The computer-implemented method for monitoring manufacturing of  claim 5 , further comprising:
 determining the one or more points exceed a tolerance range more than a predetermined number of times, wherein the tolerance range is defined by a lower control level value and an upper control level value; and 
 based on the determination, generating an alert message indicating that the one or more points exceed the tolerance range. 
 
     
     
       16. The computer-implemented method for monitoring manufacturing of  claim 5 , further comprising:
 determining an average value and a standard deviation based on the machine data; 
 analyzing the machine data by applying one or more Nelson rules and at least one of the average value and the standard deviation; 
 determining an anomaly situation based on the analysis, wherein the anomaly situation indicates a violation event of the one or more Nelson rules; and 
 initiating an alert message indicating the determined anomaly situation. 
 
     
     
       17. The computer-implemented method for monitoring manufacturing of  claim 5 , further comprising:
 determining an outcome variable based on the correlation value, wherein the outcome variable comprises a variable type that is at least one of a categorical variable and an ordinal variable; and 
 reporting the outcome variable. 
 
     
     
       18. The computer-implemented method for monitoring manufacturing of  claim 17 , further wherein:
 the variable type of the outcome variable is based at least in part on a user request for a root cause analysis. 
 
     
     
       19. The computer-implemented method for monitoring manufacturing of  claim 5 , further comprising:
 mapping the machine data to one or more particular manufactured parts; and 
 reporting the one or more particular manufactured parts along with at least one of the correlation value and the quality metric. 
 
     
     
       20. The computer-implemented method for monitoring manufacturing of  claim 5 , further comprising:
 optimizing a monitored assembly line based on the correlation value by:
 determining one or more parallel subassembly processes of the monitored assembly line; and 
 prioritizing the one or more parallel subassembly processes in the monitored assembly line based at least in part on the environmental data and the machine data so that a production time length of the monitored assembly line is reduced. 
 
 
     
     
       21. A system for monitoring manufacturing, the system comprising:
 one or more processors; and 
 a memory communicatively coupled with and readable by the one or more processors and having stored therein processor-readable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:
 determine a quality metric represented by machine data collected from one or more machine data sensors; 
 identify a correlation value between the machine data and environmental data collected from one or more environmental data sensors; 
 determine if the correlation value exceeds a predetermined threshold value; 
 if the correlation value exceeds the predetermined threshold value, report at least one of the correlation value and the quality metric; 
 determine a trend line comprising a plurality of points representing the machine data over at least one of a period of time or a number of machine parts; 
 determine an average value for the machine data; 
 determine if one or more of the plurality of points on the trend line cross the average value more than a predetermined number of times; and 
 if the one or more points cross the average value more than the predetermined number of times, initiate an alert message that the one or more points are fluctuating above or below the mean value. 
 
 
     
     
       22. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing one or more programs, the one or more programs comprising instructions, which when executed by one or more processors of an electronic device, instruct the electronic device to:
 determine a quality metric represented by machine data collected from one or more machine data sensors; 
 identify a correlation value between the machine data and environmental data collected from one or more environmental data sensors; 
 determine if the correlation value exceeds a predetermined threshold value; 
 if the correlation value exceeds the predetermined threshold value, report at least one of the correlation value and the quality metric; 
 determine a trend line comprising a plurality of points representing the machine data over at least one of a period of time or a number of machine parts; 
 determine an average value for the machine data; 
 determine if one or more of the plurality of points on the trend line cross the average value more than a predetermined number of times; and 
 if the one or more points cross the average value more than the predetermined number of times, initiate an alert message that the one or more points are fluctuating above or below the mean value.